Gay Hip-Hop Rappers Tackle Homophobia

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with identical twin brothers Jackson and Coleman Vrana from Elephant, the punk-infused hip-hop duo based in Hollywood that we first heard about when we interviewed Josie Cotton. Their controversial new music video Queer Nation takes on homophobia and is getting buzz. You can watch the video here and decide for yourself. Don’t hesitate to let us know what you think.

When asked what their inspiration was behind the song and video for Queer Nation Vrana stated, “At the time we were listening to a lot of homophobic hip-hop, which we like even though you know what it is, we still enjoy it. We kind of wanted to respond to that. So we wrote a song that I think kind of turns that type of song on its head and I think we burn a few gay stereotypes in the process. We made a video for it with Jim Zabilla the director. We shot it in a trailer truck on a parking lot. It was inspired by the whole Party Monster idea and it’s getting some really good responses so we’re really excited about it.” Vrana added about the explicit language, “We think it’s pretty important to challenge people to embrace the language and culture in general that they’re not comfortable with. We both view it as a form of social progression when you can make people challenge their own idea of language.”

Their music is raw and hot with LGBT topics like Notorious H.I.V. to The Tranny Step. Jackson and Coleman Vrana are very outspoken about our LGBT issues especially our LGBTQ teens who are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers. They state on their website, “To fight for your own identity is to fight for everyone’s. Our message is in our DNA. Being yourself and embracing it, owning it, may be the message of Elephant.”
For More Info: elephantwave.com
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Gay Ally Albert Maysles Speaks OUT

 

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with filmmaker Albert Maysles in part three of our series of celebrity chats from the Provincetown International Film Festival. Maysles was the recipient of the Career Achievement Award at PIFF this year for his amazing documentaries including GIMME SHELTER, GREY GARDENS and SALESMAN that he created with his late brother David.

When we asked what he thought about the way GREY GARDENS came back the way that it did Maysles stated, “I should have expected that it would have that kind of reaction. When the film first came out there were dozens of gay men having GREY GARDEN parties all over the country and even in England where gay men would dress up as Edie and have their parties and it’s still going on. Then of course there was the HBO feature film, the Broadway Musical and also a book that my daughter published all about GREY GARDENS with lots and lots of drawings and a CD of an hour and a half of sound of the two women talking when the camera wasn’t running.”

Maysles has directed a new film called THE LOVE WE MAKE with Paul McCartney that addresses 9/11 as well as McCartney’s subsequent Concert for New York City. “There was so much suffering as a result of 9/11 it’s hard to imagine how one might bring relief to those who were impacted by the attacks and honor those firefighters, police officers and rescue workers who lost their lives in their heroic attempt to help others,” said Maysles. “But Paul had the answer: music and a film that would tell the full story.” THE LOVE WE MAKE will air on SHOWTIME September 10th where both GREY GARDENS and SALEMAN are available for viewing on SHOWTIME ON DEMAND until August 25th.

Albert Maysles is a pioneer of Direct Cinema who along with his late brother David was the first to make nonfiction feature films where the drama of life unfolds as is without scripts, sets, interviews or narration. Called "the dean of documentary filmmakers" by The New York Times, Albert has received a Guggenheim Fellowship, two Peabody Awards, three Emmy Awards, five Lifetime Achievement Awards, the Columbia Dupont Award and an Academy Award nomination for LALEE’S KIN. Eastman Kodak saluted him as one of the world's 100 finest cinematographers.
Listen to Part One with Kathleen Turner
Listen to Part Two with John Waters
Listen to Part #4: with Actress Jackie Monahan
For More Info: MAYSLESFILMS.com

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Gay Activist Tracy Gilchrist Speaks OUT

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Tracy Gilchrist, Editor in Chief of Shewired.com. Shewired the lesbian online outlet of Here Media has recently unveiled a fresh new design by Boo Jarchow, Associate Editor of Shewired, that allows users to easily navigate their way through the hottest headlines from the world of pop culture, politics, travel, health and lifestyle.

When asked what her personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights Gilchrist stated, “I came out in the late eighties. One of the ways that I have been committed is just through my own visibility. I’ve been out in every job that I ever had. Now that I’m kind of a professional lesbian, I think to some degree that’s helpful because it changes hearts and minds that you can work with people who are gay; we’re just kind of normal. In that sense I’ve always been myself and so that is one of my commitments to LGBT civil rights. The other one is now that I am a professional lesbian is to do my best to cover the issues that are pertinent to people in our community. To get the news out and to at least on my end make people aware of what legislation is out there that will effect their lives and who are the people we need to watch out for who are trying to take our civil rights away or just keep them from us to begin with. Also who are our heroes. I do feel it’s my duty at this point to try to put that information out in the world.”

SheWired continues to offer its dynamic roster of writers who bring a unique perspective to important gay women’s issues. Fans now have quick, easy access to SheWired’s original editorial and video content. Gilchrist encourages users to engage with other members of the SheWired community in the robust social networking section of the site which allows members with a SheWired profile to interact easily through e-mail, chat, photo sharing and more.

Tracy Gilchrist has acted as SheWired's Editor in Chief since its 2008 inception. Formerly, she worked as Senior Editor for Here Media's pioneering Lesbiannation.com. She has also contributed entertainment pieces to The Advocate, Advocate.com, Los Angeles Magazine and In Los Angeles.
For More Info: shewired.com

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Comedian Paula Poundstone Speaks OUT

UPDATE: New 2013 Paula Poundstone Interview
In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with comedian Paula Poundstone. Poundstone is a regular panelist on NPR'S hit weekly news quiz show, "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me," which won a Peabody Award for broadcasting excellence and is currently on tour with her own one-woman show. We recently caught her sold-out live performance in Provincetown. When Paula came on the comedy scene, she thought her lack of focus would be her downfall. Now it’s called spontaneity, not lack of focus. We had a chance to catch up with Paula about her show, the NPR series and LGBT issues.

When asked what her personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights, Poundstone stated, “I think that I am an advocate of civil rights for all, I don’t know if it’s limited to one particular group. I am thrilled to death to see America maturing in the gay marriage arena. Although frankly, I’m not clear why anyone wants to be married but OK. I always thought that people’s argument against gay marriage has always been that it would somehow destroy the sanctity of marriage and I’m kind of a mind that whoever was in charge of the sanctity to begin with had kind of fallen asleep at the helm! I think it is exciting to live in a time when things are changing. I’m really excited when my daughter who’s in high school tells me ‘you know so and so is gay.’ I just marvel. Not because her friend is gay but that it’s casual information. It’s just when I was growing up, in high school, I was the class of ’77, of course there were many gays among my class, no one would ever have said so. Ever... So I think it’s thrilling and I try to emphasize that to my kids how lucky they are to be alive in a time when people can more or less be who they are.”

Paula is headed to Alaska to record the NPR hit weekly news quiz show, “Wait Wait... Don’t Tell Me”. Poundstone states “To have access to the NPR audience is pretty darn fun. They’re smart. They’re well informed. Not that I fall into either of those categories, by the way; less and less so as I grow older, in fact.” She adds her appearances on NPR actually improve her stand-up act and vice versa.
For More Tour Info: paulapoundstone.com

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